Planning AAC Trainings in Low-Resource Developing Countries — Presentation

Muttiah, N., McNaughton, D., Drager, K. ( July 21, 2014).  Planning Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Trainings in Low-Resource Developing Countries.  Presentation at ISAAC 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal.  [Presentation Slides].
While there is an urgent need for AAC services in low-resource developing countries, we have only a limited understanding of how best to support the development of the knowledge and skills of individuals who provide AAC supports in these countries.
Aim: The purpose of the present study was to explore the experiences of individuals who have conducted trainings for parents and professionals from low-resource developing countries.
Method: An online focus group methodology was used to enable discussions between participants from around the world.
Results: Major themes included identifying the learner’s needs, determining what to teach, deciding how to teach it, assessing the impacts of the training, and making recommendations to others planning similar trainings.
Conclusion:  The results of this study will be of interest to individuals conducting trainings in low-resource developing countries. In addition, this study contributes to the limited research base on implementing AAC in developing countries.